Albert h



ALBERT H, JUDD, or" sT. LoUIs,MIssoURI.

sAFETYpArPARATUs For, STEAM-Bomans.

`Specicationof Letters Patent No. 11,525, dated August 15p, 1854.

T0 all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT H. JUDD, of

the city of St. Louis, in the State of Mis-` souri, have invented a new and Phonetio Safety-Gage for SteamfBoilers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full `and exact description thereof, reference being `had `to the accompanying drawings, making part of `this specification, Figure 1 being a planof the gage;` Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same, together with al steamwhistle attached thereto, `in the line g/.y Aof Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an elevation thereof viewed from the inside of the boiler; Fig. 4:, a longitudinal vertical section through the center of the float;` Fig. 5, a transverse section of thevalve-rod in theline m of Fig. 2.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all the figures. i y

All floats for indicating the height of water in steam` boilers, which have heretofore been constructed, have utterly failed 'to actas safety gages; because the` valves,

or indicators, intended to be put in action by them, soon become stuck or fixed, by oxidation, or by the deposition and consequent cementation of mud or other earthy matter contained in the water, around them. This vital objection I completely obviate` in my present invention. 1

The first feature of my invention consists in passing the stem of the valve through an enlargement c, in itssupport-i'ng tube B, by which I am enabled to give short bearings to said stem, for the purpose of preventing it from becoming fastened in its `bearings by oxidation or the action ofthe heat upon theearthy matter driven through the same, when the valve is opened, and also for the purpose of producing a fuller and clearer sound, whenthe valve `is opened, than is produced by the escape of steam through the ordinaryigage cock. The second feature of my invention con,` sists in removing portions of the sides from that part of the valve-stem which passes b through its inner bearing aperture, so asto leave narrow bearing surfaces to guide and steady the valve, forthe purpose of preventing said valve-stem from becoming fastened within its inner bearing aperture, and also for causing alarger volume" of steam to escape and give the alarm when a lack of Wat-er in theboiler, or excessive heat of the steam, causes the jfioat to sink, substantially as hereinafter set forth.` i l The third feature of invention consists in combiningthe valve-stem with `the float, `in such a manner that, whenthe float shall sink and open the valve, the valve-stenrmay Vbe detached therefrom, for the purpose of again closing the same, by simply giving a `partial turn'to said valve-stem by meansof.

its lever CZ. y

The fourth feature of my invention cnsists in giving an alarm, whenever the steam lin the boiler is allowed to accumulate to a dangerousdegree of pressure, by placing a plug of fusible alloy in an aperture in onel `end of the floatwhich is connected wit-hmy" improved arrangement of gage cock, sub `stantially as set forthlin theifollowing dei scription. Instead of the ordinary `gage cock, make use of a valve, composed of a valve-rod or stem H, which slides horizontally in a suitable socket,or supporting tube .13, and of a conical (or other suitable form of) shoulder, or enlargement f, Anear the` inner end of said valve-rod, which, when 'pushed outwardly against said socket, en-

tirely closes the aperture-thereof.- Said `socketconsists of a tube 0i,.with :a flange on its inner end, and'is insertedoutwardly through thehead A, of theboiler, at the `proper height, till its flange fits against the inside ofthe head. It is secured in its place by means of a nut Z), which fits upona male screw-thread' cut on the outwardly project-` ing portion of the tube a, as sho-wn in Figs.

l, and 2. Theaperture of said supporting` tube is only of sufficient diameter at its inner bearing end, to allow the valve-rod. to slide freely therein; but the remaining outer portion c, is considerably enlarged, in order to enable the mud and other impurities col-` lected therein, to be more readily `cleared out, and to produce `a clearer `,and fuller sound by the issuing steam, when giving the alarm.

portion of the aperture, and to reduce the In order` to `give suflicient vent `through the contracted inner, or bearlng,

bearing surfaceas muchas possible, that portion of the valve-stemH, which `moves therein, has segments e, e, removed from its sides, as shown in Fig. 5, 'leaving only small portions of itsl periphery, as bearing edges, to `serve in keeping `the valvestem from playing laterally, and at thelsame time,

leave `as little surface as possible to be cemented to the socket by the` mud or other` earthy matter which may collect around it. A handle ,is attached tothe outer end ofthe valve-stem, and serves also tolimit the inward motionof the valve. p

A cap G, is screwed over theouter end of the bearing tube a, and is provided with an aperture, which serves as the outer bearing of the valve-stem. When a steam whistle I, (Fig. 2,) is employed to give the alarm, it is inserted through this cap, as represented. But generally it will not be found necessary, as the noise of the steam rushing from the valve will ordinarily be found suficient to attract attention. The valve-stem should either pass loosely through the aperture of the cap, or have segments removed from its sides, in the portion passing through the cap, in the same manner and for the same purposes as in the portion moving in its inner bearing aperture above described. But when a whistle is used, the vent of this outer bearing apertureshould be less than that of the inner one, in order to force sufficient steam into the whistle to sound it. Both the inner and outer bearing apertures of the supporting tube should be quite short to diminish the bearing surface; and my mannerl of constructing the valve enables eX- ceedingly short bearings to be used without diminishing the eiiciency of the valve.

. The float D, is a hollow metallic cylinder, attached, by a pivot p, or otherwise, to the end of an arm C, of suitable length to produce the requisite motion of the valve by the lowering of the float a given distance. The other end of said arm is secured to a suitable fulcrum-block E, the journals Z, Z, of which rest in bearings h, 71 which may most conveniently project from, and form one piece with, the socket B, as represented. lrom said fulcrum-block, two prongs c', e', project vertically upward, leaving sufficient space between them to allow the portion n, ofthe inner end of the valve-stem H, to slide freely therein. At the inner extremity of the valve-stem is a flattened head .g, arranged so that, when in a horizontal position, as seen in the drawings, the prongs z', z', will strike' it, as the float descends, and draw the valve inward, but when turned up in a vertical position, it will pass between said prongs and be disengaged therefrom. The handle d, is so situated on the outer end of the valve-stem that, when hanging down by its `own weight, as shown in the drawings, it will keep said head g, in a horizontal position; and when it is desired to disengage the prongs from the valve-stein and allow the float to fall, said handle is turned up one fourth of a circle, or to a horizontal position. When the water Vin the boiler, gets below the desired level, the sinking float I), operating through its arm C, draws the prongsl e', e', inward, away from the boilerhead, and consequently separates the valve from its socket, thus causing the steam to escape and sound the alarm. The valve servesas a superior gage cock, to ascertain the state of water in the boiler; and its use as such .prevents its becoming fastened or stuck in its supporting tube, by oxidation or by the mud and otherearthy matter collecting around it. For this latter purpose, it will be sufficient to start the valve once or twice a day, when aV high pressure of steam is carried; and with low pressure, once in a day or two will insure safety.

. Since the float I), is a hollow metallic cylinder, when an opening is made to the space inside and exposed to the water, it will of course sink. I ltake advantage of this circumstance, to 'apply a plug m, of fusible alloy to the float by screwing it into an aperture in one end thereof, as `represented. It is made so as to melt at the maximum degree of heat which is considered safe to reach in the boiler. Should this degree of heat ever be attained, the plug would melt and allow the float to fill with water and sink; and consequently the lvalve would be opened and the alarm given.LV The float is again reached for replacing the plug, by taking out the man-head ofthe boiler. To stop the alarm at any time, the handle d, is turned up to a horizontall position, in the manner and producing the effect above described.

Having thus fully described my phonetic safety gage for steam boilers, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

. 1.v Passing the stem of the valve through an enlargement o, in its supporting tube B, by which I am enabled to give short bearings to said stem, for the purpose of preventing it from becoming fastened in its bearings by oxidation or the action of the heat upon the earthy matter driven through the same, when the valve is opened, and also for the purpose of producing' a fuller and clearer sound, when the valve is opened, than is produced by the escape of steam through the ordinary gage cock.

2. I also claim, removing portions of the sides from that part of the valve-stem which passes through it-s inner bearing aperture,

so as to leave vnarrow bearing surfaces to guide and steady the valve, for the purpose of preventing said valve-stem from becom-v ing fastened within its inner bearing aperture, andalso for causing a larger volume of steam to escape and give the alarm when a lack of water in the boiler, or excessive heat of the steam, causes the float to sink,

substantially as herein set forth.

3. I also claim, combining the valvestemV with the oat, in such a manner that, when the float shall sink and open the valve, the valve-stem maybe detached therefrom, for the purpose of again closing the same, by simply giving a partial turn to said valvestem by means of its handle d, substantially as herein described. i

4. I also claim, giving an alarm, whensey y ever the steam in theboiler is llowed. to acsafety gage for steam boilers signed and y y cummulate to a dangerous degree of `preswitnessed this fifteenth day of June 1854.

sure, by placing a plug of fusible alloy in an aperture in one end of the float which is oon- Y i ALBERT H' JUDD' 5 nected with my improved arrangementof Witnesses:

gage cook, substantially as herein `speeied. E. M. LEEDS,

The above specification of my phonetic ALEX. H. BAKER. 

